


A Shared Gift

by AlbaAdler



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 11:45:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20275378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaAdler/pseuds/AlbaAdler
Summary: "What I want you to understand is that for me, in my head, in my life—” Tony paused quickly and put his hand on his chest, over his heart, “I have two children. And I love them both just the same."





	A Shared Gift

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic in this fandom, please be good.  
Thanks a lot to convolutings, who was an excellent beta for this story.  
Let me know what you think!

# A Shared Gift

This was the third time in a row that his afternoon in the lab had been cut short by FRIDAY’s voice announcing that Morgan was crying, and Tony’s presence was required to help calm her down. Tony got up, and a few minutes later Peter decided to follow after him to the living room. Now, Peter stood frozen in the doorway, unable to do anything but watch from afar at how Tony and Pepper sat next to each other on the couch, looking down in awe of their little girl. He couldn’t blame them; she really was a beautiful baby. He even loved her too. But watching their little family, he suddenly felt out of place. He didn’t belong there and was no more than an intruder in their home.

Peter had never fooled himself. Since the moment he learned that his mentor was about to become a father, he also knew his time with him was over. He just wanted to prolong it as much as possible. Now, he realized, that that time had come, and he had to step away.

He waited in silence, standing by the door, backpack already in hand. Something, however, stopped him from leaving. If this was to be his last time with them, he wanted to enjoy it till the very last second. He stood there trying to memorize every single detail of this moment, so he could look back on it like a recording, recalling it whenever he wanted.

“You should get some sleep. I’ll take care of her.” Tony said to Pepper, his hand resting on the baby’s chest.

“I took a nap this morning. You haven’t slept for more than an hour in the last five days. Besides, Peter is here, go and spend time with him,” she countered.

Tony looked to where Peter was and stood up, suddenly determined. Peter then realized that despite how tired Tony seemed, or how dark the circles under his eyes were, that he still looked really happy.

“What do you say, kid? Maybe we can finally finish that propeller.” Tony told him cheerfully.

Peter was struggling to figure out how to get out of this situation before he realized what he wanted to do. “I have a better idea,” he responded, “what about you two go to sleep for a while, and Morgan and I have a little party with no adults involved?” He moved closer and kneeled beside the couch landing right in front of Morgan. “How would you like that Morgs?”, he asked. The girl smiled and moved her tiny fist, Peter crashing his own with hers, he wanted to say goodbye to Morgan.

“Are you sure?”, Pepper asked. He happily nodded. “You are the best, Pete.” She said, kissing his cheek, handing Morgan over to him. “I really need a good nap.”

Tony was about to open his mouth to say something, but Peter didn’t give him the chance. “Go to sleep. I want to spend some time with other Stark.”

“I hope you still say so when you have to change her diaper,” he told him with a mischievous grin.

“Go to sleep, you always get cranky when you’re tired.”

Tony turned to Pepper, taking her hand in his as they walked to their room, leaving Peter and Morgan alone.

After a while, Morgan yawned a couple of times and Peter thought it was a good idea to take her to her own room. So he headed into the nursery, giving her a soft kiss on her head as he settled down in the rocking chair. It took no more than ten minutes of him slowly cradling her for her to fall sleep. Very carefully he stood up, put her in her crib and covered her with a blanket. He left by her side the Spider-Man doll that he had given her as present the day she was born.

He found it somewhat amusing and simultaneously confusing how much he could love someone that had only been in his life for a less than a month. How much he looked at her like a sister. He supposed that was just what all brothers felt for their little siblings. It was quite the juxtaposition he had. Feeling like a brother and an outsider all at once.

He recalled the look in Tony and Pepper’s eyes as they watched their daughter and wondered if his own parents had ever looked at him like that. He liked to think yes. May had basically told him so. And even though he couldn’t remember his parents, he knew they had loved him. Just as he was sure that Ben had loved him, and that May loves him, and that Tony cares about him.

So what right does he have to be sad? None. Because as much as Peter saw Tony as a father figure, he’s not his father. He’s Morgan’s. And how could he try and steal that position for himself when it rightfully belongs to her? He knows he can't, so he decided to step away. And yet, as much as he didn’t have a right to be sad, he felt it anyway.

Suddenly, the girl startled him with a soft cry, so he picked her up from her crib, and held her in his arms as he sat down with her in the rocking chair once again.

“Hey, don´t cry, little one. I´m here with you. I just thought you would be comfier and warmer in your own bed.” Just hearing him talk made Morgan sigh peacefully and stop crying. Peter had remembered Pepper saying that Morgan liked hearing voices and noise. So he kept talking, hoping to keep her calm, so she could go back to sleep. “But you don’t like to be alone, right?” She made a funny little noise. “I get it. I don’t like it either. It sucks. The good news is that you’ll never have to be alone. You have a great mom. She is smart and kind. She will be able to convince you to do things she wants without even nagging you. She always does that with dad —I mean, with _your_ dad,” he quickly corrected himself.

“And, of course, you also have your dad. He is the best, really. I mean you couldn’t ask for a better dad. And it’s not because he is Iron Man or even because he’s super rich. But because he’s funny and makes you laugh. But most importantly, it’s because he cares about you. Not only caring if you have eaten or done your homework, but also that you are happy and are a good person. He will probably even tell you that he wants you to be better than him. What he doesn’t know is that that’s impossible, because there’s no one better. You can only to try to do your best not to disappoint him.” He rocked the chair slowly, Morgan still in his arms.

“He also knows a whole bunch of things, because he is a genius. A real one. He will teach you whatever you want to know because he is selfless like that. And when you get something right, he will look at you as if you just saved the whole world; and believe me, there is nothing better than that look, or how special it makes you feel. And when you are in the mood for some mischief, he will play along as long it is not something too dangerous, otherwise he’ll freak out and scold you; because that’s what dads are supposed to do.”

“You are so lucky, Morgan. Your dad is a true gift. Don’t worry, though, because I know he is your dad, so I promise not to take his time from you anymore. I just wanted to thank you for all the time that you’ve let me have with him.” He kissed her head, fighting the knot that had formed in his throat.

“We’re probably not going to see each other anymore, but I swear to you that I will always take care of you. Even if it’s not necessary because you have a whole lot of other people who love you. I will though, because I love you too, you know. So much, because you are his daughter.”

The girl took the finger he was caressing her with and held it tight. For a fleeting moment Peter thought that maybe that was Morgan’s way of asking him to stay. But, he realized that no, that was a silly idea, even for him. She was just a baby and couldn’t understand what he had just told her. He knew that that farewell was for him, and Morgan didn’t know that he was saying goodbye. But he said it to her because he couldn’t say it to Tony, and so Tony would never know either. Perhaps for a few weeks Tony might wonder where he is, but eventually he’ll forget about him and focus on his wife and daughter.

And god that really hurt.

“Bye, little Morgan, I know you’ll be happy,” he said; still rocking her in the chair.

***

Tony was tired, very tired. But as usual, the moment he laid on his bed all his desire to sleep fled. So, since wasn’t going to be able to sleep, he decided to turn on the monitor and see what the kids, _his kids_, he told himself, were doing. He didn’t actually feel the need to watch over Morgan when she was with Peter. Besides him and Pepper, the girl couldn’t be safer with anyone else. But —and he would never willingly admit this to anyone but himself— he couldn´t get enough of that pair. _His kids_. Watching them together gave him a sort of feeling that he never thought could exist. A feeling that filled him with the sensation that his chest was about to explode with pride and joy.

They both were his kids. He knew it the day Morgan was born, because he realized that what he felt for her, it wasn’t new. He was already very familiar with that crazy and relentless instinct to protect someone no matter what.

The monitor was on mute when he saw Peter hold Morgan as if she was made of fragile glass; the boy cradling her for a while until he decided to put her to sleep in her crib. He chuckled fondly as the little brat, of course, began to cry as soon as she realized that she was no longer being held. Making Pete run back to her faster than lightning. Peter took her in his arms again, sat in the rocking chair and began to talk to her.

Tony turned around and found Pepper fast sleep, and his curiosity got the best of him. He turned on the audio very low, wanting to hear what kind of talk Peter would have with Morgan.

_“But you don’t like to be alone, right? I get it. I don’t like it either. It sucks. The good news is that you’ll never have to be alone…” _Peter’s voice was barely audible, soft and almost melodic.

Tony paid attention to every single word until he heard Peter say goodbye to Morgan with such a sadness, that it broke his heart. Damn kid.

Pepper moved beside him, and from the corner of his eye he found her looking at him and not at the screen. He quickly rubbed his eye, wanting to make the lone and stubborn tear that the boy had caused with his heartfelt monologue, disappear. He didn’t want to be seen crying, be seen as weak. He cursed out the kid for making him cry and got mad at himself for allowing himself to cry in the first place. Tony could feel himself slipping back to his old ways of being way harder on himself than necessary.

After hearing Peter he couldn’t help but wonder why the boy felt that way. Had he neglected him that much since Morgan’s birth? Done something to make him think of himself as a kind of suit that he would replace for a new model? Tony knew he had always been a mess, and most of the time was oblivious to the needs of the people around him. In the last years, however, he had tried to change that. Obviously, it hadn’t been enough.

“He is right, you know. You are a wonderful dad.” Pepper kissed his cheek, interrupting his line of thought. She had obviously been listening to the monitor.

“Morgan was born barely thirty days ago. I doubt that less than a month can count to make someone a good father.”

“Don’t fool yourself. You have been a father since you found Peter. And it suits you. You’re a natural and I’m glad that Morgan has a big brother.” She kissed him once more and then laid back down. “Now, let me sleep, and go talk with that silly boy and make him understand that this is only temporary, and in a few weeks you two can get back to spending all the time you want playing in the lab. And that you won't have to split up your time because someday Morgan will join you there too. Make sure he understands that you love him as much as you love Morgan.”

He opened his mouth not sure about what he was going to say. Was it bad that he loved that kid, who wasn’t his own, as fiercely as he loved his own daughter? He looked at his wife and she just smiled at him sweetly. No, it couldn’t be bad. Just as she said, Peter was Morgan’s big brother, and it was good that she had someone to take care of her besides her parents.

“And make it very clear to him that he is part of this family and cannot escape so easily,” she finished.

So he said the only thing that made sense when his wife was irrevocably right:

“Yes, Miss Potts.”

***

The door opened suddenly, Peter hearing steps that he knew all too well, approach him.

“Did you two have a good time?” Tony asked. Peter just nodded, smiling, and gave the sleeping baby back to her father. “I hope you haven’t been telling her anything embarrassing, the last thing I want right now is both of my kids conspiring against me,” he said, carefully putting Morgan back in her crib. “You can wait at least until your sister can walk.”

It had moved something inside Peter to hear Tony say _‘both of my kids’ _but he choose to ignore it. At first, he thought it was just a slip of the tongue, but then he said _‘your sister’_with intention. Now he didn’t know what to think.

“My… my sister?” He mumbles without thinking.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?” Tony asked. Peter was confused and wasn’t sure if this was another test.

“I don’t think so,” Peter replied.

Tony snorted before taking a seat in the rocking chair. “You know, for a genius, sometimes you can be incredibly thick. What I want you to understand is that for me, in my head, in my life—” he paused quickly and put his hand on his chest, over his heart, “I have two children. And I love them both just the same. And if now I spend more time with Morgan, it’s not because she is my blood and you’re not, but because she’s a baby, so right now she needs more attention. That’s all. So whatever other stupid idea you have in that chaotic head of yours, drop it.”

“I heard you on the baby monitor. I heard what you said to Morgan and there is no way I am going to let you just disappear like that. I will bring you back whatever it takes, so don’t even try. Do you understand now? There are no goodbyes in this family.”

Peter was numb, almost in shock, but nodded anyway. He didn’t know what else he could do. What he was just told was that he belonged to this family, that he had a sister, and that he was loved just as much as Morgan was by… by _their father._

“Let’s make something for dinner since I am apparently unable to sleep. How would you like risotto?” Tony suddenly asked him, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

“Risotto sounds great,” he said while struggling to make his voice sounds normal.

They were looking for a casserole and rice when Peter couldn’t help it anymore. He knew how much Tony hate hugs, but he really wanted to convey what he was feeling, and words weren’t enough.

So he hugged him. And for once, Tony didn’t seem to mind, because he hugged him back.

“Thank you,” Peter finally said.

Later, when he went to say goodnight but not goodbye, to his sister, he decided to tell her what had happened while she was sleeping.

“See, Morgan, _our _dad is truly a gift. Would it be ok if we share him? What do you say?”

And Morgan warbled back with joy.


End file.
